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Kisteriks
Canon tier: 2013 Physiology The Kisterik are a stout and vaguely arachnid species, almost entirely female, born below ground, and rarely venturing above. Four large eyes and four long antennae help them be very aware of their surroundings, though it doesn't do much good for anyone but themselves; most Kisterik cannot communicate with outsiders. Those few that are meant to have their own translator devices, similar to Arkanin and other races that cannot form Tarsin words. They come from the planet Listerik, a tidally-locked world that orbits further from its star and has slightly higher gravity than Tarsis. Life was slow to evolve on the planet, but what survives is hard to kill indeed. Unlike the similar Arkanin, the Kisterik have a fully-developed exoskeleton, with no interior supports. However, in opposition to the insects and arachnids of Earth, the Kisterik have a much more advanced set of internal organs, including a circulatory and respiratory system. There are three distinct classes of Kisterik. There are the worker drones; small, docile, and determined, with no true consciousness of their own. There are soldiers, heavier-built, ever vigilant, and possessing cunning intelligence but little initiative. And there are queens, part egg-laying machine, part communication hub. Each class has many variations within. Worker drones come in several formats: drones for digging, drones for construction, drones for farming, drones for transport, and so on. There are also immobile drones, who are fed microscopic, bioluminescent organisms, turning their abdomens into a light source. Some drones have been bred to the point that their backs are wide and flat, they are used as carriers for anything that needs to be carried. Other drones can eat chemicals that create exothermic reactions inside of them, allowing them to venture into the dark side of the planet and not freeze. For anything that needs to be done, the Kisterik have created a drone breed for it. Soldier Kisterik have much more advanced grasping ability, both physically and mentally. They do not function on their own, rather answering to a special type of queen talked about below. Soldiers are bulky, strong, fierce, and very adept at not dying. Each one is smart enough not to get into trouble, even without guidance, but when separated from their commander, they will enter a state similar to lethargic depression in other lifeforms. However, they are competent with technology, and are highly adaptable as long as they have a leader. Like workers, there are soldier breeds suited to different tasks and environments. After their entry into what would become the Nine Realms, a mine-seeking and disarming soldier breed has become very much sought-after by regional armies of other races. Queen breeds of Kisterik display the most dimorphism between themselves. Originally, there was only one kind of queen, the immobile egg-laying, hive overmind. They controlled all the arching series of actions the hive made, and continued to ensure its survival, against outside forces and rival hives. But with the merging of the various Kisterik races into one, it became necessary to elaborate on the existing breed. There were minor queens, ruling over sections of the world-spanning hive Likstrik was turning into, major queens, which commanded the central nodes, and then the high queen, a hyperintelligent and very much individual figure who commanded the other queens. As the Kisterik entered the wider scene of the Nine Realms, other specialized queens were created. Some were to interact with the other races, some to command ships, some to command soldiers, and so forth. In all technicality, the male individuals (kings) used to assist in reproduction fall into the queen category. But they are very much unregarded in the grand scheme. History A long time ago, Likstrik was divided between many hives. Over the ages, the advanced of technology got to the point where war meant mutually-assured destruction for not only the races, but for Likstrik's ability to support life as well. The destruction of a hive would weaken the planet's crust to the point of collapse, which would expose the entire underground ecosystem to either the eternally frozen night of the dark side, or the burning hell of the day side. This could not be. So the races found a new solution: They would all mix into one super-race, which became the Kistrik. Over the long centuries, the Kistrik became aware that they were not alone, a great shock to the queens. Early Kisterik sub-lightspeed explorations landed them in the next star-system, and eventually, a colony was set up. Things quickly became hectic when a derelict ship plopped itself down in the system, being intercepted by the Kisterik's own transport. When the transport failed to return home, as it used up all its fuel chasing the derelict, Likstrik sent another. They brought the ancient vessel with them, and spent the next few decades researching it. Amazingly enough, the ship still had power, and a survivor was found. The creature was shocked and confused, but soon accepted its fate. Through it, the Kisterik began to tap into the interstellar Warpspace Beacon network, and developed their own engine to access the realm. It wasn't long before they found out that the loose alliance of states they lived within was under attack. Hethorîon was the name of the alien planet they rescued, and the high queen was sure that she had made their now-deceased guest proud. Today With their stunning introduction to the Coalition made, a daring surprise counter-attack on barbarian invaders that not even the defense was expecting, the Kisterik were quickly accepted into the Realms. Many were skeptical at first, but Tarsins were not ones to throw away a useful partner. With a comfortable arms-length relationship secured, Likstrik and its growing colonies were granted full membership into the Realms, as long as they handed over their Warpspace technology to maintain the Tarsin monopoly. This was a small price to pay for a bright future. Now, the Kisterik are unwittingly a driving force in the World economy, buying and consuming massive amounts of grain, and have thus unwittingly moved the Tarsins to a mostly agrarian lifestyle once again. Their military contributions are small, but economically, the Kisterik are a vital part of the Coalition. See Also *Partner races Category:Coalition of Planets Category:Unfinished